Ralph Kiner

[Edgy MD]

The Glory of Ralph Kiner's Times

And "Ralph in the Archives" coming...

[smg58]

The ending is never happy for anybody, but he had as good a life as you can hope for.

[Frayed Knot]

Started in pro (minor league) ball [u:32fxeyuf]73 years ago[/u:32fxeyuf] this season. Has been and was still "in" baseball, however tangentially, ever since.
That's a nice run.

[Edgy MD]

Ralph Kiner in the Archives

Questions for Steve Zabriskie (November 2005)

Ralph Kiner (June 2006)

July 14th - Ralph Kiner Night (March 2007)

Message from Ralph Kiner. (May 2007)

Anyone going to see Ralphie Boy being honored Saturday? (July 2007)

Ralph & Tim, back together again (August 2007)

Kiner's Korner (February 2008)

Kiner on Spring Training (March 2010)

Nothing Could Be Finer than Ralph Kiner (July 2010)

Ralph Kiner Wishes Now He'd Broken Ruth's Mark (September 2010)

So, You're Ralph Kiner (May 2011)

(Just a hint of what's in there, obviously)

[stevejrogers]

Not quite sure who "John" is.

From Wiki:

John Carmichael, a Chicago sports writer who was awarded the Spinx award that year.

[G-Fafif]

Original and Forever.

[Guest themetfairy]

As G-Fafif said, while quoting Gary, Ralph certainly signed more than his share of autographs. And he was gracious in the process.

[fimg=540:1twv1mpz]http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3818/12352206593_a2c89292df_b.jpg[/fimg:1twv1mpz]

[Edgy MD]

I imagine Spring Training is absolutely the worst time of year for the equipment staff, but here's hoping they pull a few allnighters and sew a memorial to Ralph Kiner onto the shoulders of about 80 uniforms.

[Zvon]

Edgy MD wrote: I imagine Spring Training is absolutely the worst time of year for the equipment staff, but here's hoping they pull a few allnighters and sew a memorial to Ralph Kiner onto the shoulders of about 80 uniforms.

Agreed. Precedents have been set, so all season? We lost Murph mid season so that was a little different.

After his passing, the Mets honored Bob Murphy's memory by wearing a patch on the left sleeve of their uniforms for the rest of the 2004 season.

[Edgy MD]

At-Bats Per Home Run

1. Mark McGwire : 10.61
2. Babe Ruth: 11.76
3. Barry Bonds: 12.92
4. Jim Thome: 13.76
5. Ryan Howard: 13.96
6. Ralph Kiner: 14.11
7. Harmon Killebrew: 14.22
8. Sammy Sosa: 14.47
9. Adam Dunn: 14.67
10. Ted Williams: 14.79

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: I imagine Spring Training is absolutely the worst time of year for the equipment staff, but here's hoping they pull a few allnighters and sew a memorial to Ralph Kiner onto the shoulders of about 80 uniforms.

No real games for a couple of weeks yet. time to get it done in that regard. Also, all season long. They can't do too little here.

the Pirates will do something I imagine too right? Might be cool to have a special day against the Pirates.

[Guest cooby]

I am sure both teams will be ready with all sorts of tributes.

Zvon, this second picture reminds me so much of my dad. I miss them both.

Zvon wrote:

[Frayed Knot]

Statue in Alamansor Park in hometown of Alahambra, CA

[Guest d'Kong76]

Ceetar wrote: Might be cool to have a special day against the Pirates.

And for the Pirates to have one against the Mets.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Watching stuff on SNY. My adams apple is the size of a grapefruit.

[Guest cooby]

Batting third... Ralph Kiner! Batting fourth... Steve J. Rogers!

And Steve, I love this picture of the two of you too

[Guest cooby]

Kong76 wrote: Watching stuff on SNY. My adams apple is the size of a grapefruit.

I think we all need a hug right now

[G-Fafif]

Daily News football writer Gary Myers was Ralph's intern four decades ago. Great story here.

I would put all the information on a score sheet for Kiner, then prepare the scoreboard that would be shown as he was reading the information on the post-game show. By far, the best part of the job was standing outside the Mets clubhouse if they won or the visitor's clubhouse if the Mets lost and rounding up the guests for Ralph. In the two years I had that job, not one player ever said no and it had nothing to do with the $50 they received for appearing on show, which, by the way, I thought that was a fortune compared to the $25 per game I was getting paid. Not only did all the players from around the National League know Ralph, they loved and respected him. Rose, Morgan, Mike Schmidt, Henry Aaron, Willie Stargell, Willie McCovey, Joe Torre � all I had to do was tell them Ralph wanted them and they would hustle to the studio. I would escort them down the hallway, sometimes they were still in their cleats, from the visitor's locker room behind the third base dugout to the Kiner's Korner studio behind the first base dugout. If the Mets won, it was about a 10-second walk. Either way, Kiner's Korner started not long after the game ended and it was my job to make sure the players were there on time. I never let Ralph down. The players considered it an honor when Ralph wanted them on Korner's Korner. Besides the $50, which in those days was enough to buy dinner, it was great exposure for them in the New York market.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

JUST found out about this. Dammit.

[Zvon]

Saw this on fb- proposed by The 7 Line.

I like this idea alot.
ALOT

[Guest d'Kong76]

Seconded, make it so.

[G-Fafif]

Interviews worth checking out:

Bill Webb and Vin Scully at sny.tv. (You don't even think that somebody calling games today called games Ralph Kiner played in, but Scully talks about that.)

Marty Noble at mlb.com

Gary Cohen and Ron Darling with Steve Somers at wfan.com.

Bobby Valentine, Keith Hernandez and (no, really) Fran Healy with Francesa at wfan.com.

[Centerfield]

This is really a sad day for the Mets and all of baseball. I don't care that he was 91. He should have lived to 250 if it were up to me. He is a voice from my childhood and I will always appreciate him helping me fall in love with baseball.

Don't know that I've done a lot right in my life but taking my not yet two year old son to Ralph Kiner night for his first trip to Shea is right up there in my list of accomplishments.

Good night Ralph. We will miss you greatly.

[nymr83]

They've got 4 clips from Somers up, his monologue and Cohen, Rose and Darling:
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/audio-on-demand/steve-somers/

[Edgy MD]

Ron referencing W.H. Auden on the FAN.

[Edgy MD]

Twitter memories bring Tim McGraw and Chuck D. together.

Ralph used to say only one Mets player ever asked him directly for batting tips. Maybe that was Ken Singleton.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Edgy MD wrote: Ralph used to say only one Mets player ever asked him directly for batting tips. Maybe that was Ken Singleton.

That would probably be Rocky Ron Swoboda, who sought Ralph's advice on September 15, 1969, and then proceeded to hit two two-run homers later that night to singlehandedly beat the Cardinals despite Steve Carlton's 19 K's.

[DocTee]

A nice piece on Kiner from the Baseball prospectus:

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=22766

[Edgy MD]

Somehow, he flew these.

[Edgy MD]

If Eric Karros raced a pregnant girl, he�d finish third.

I've got to think that this was a common insult among his teenage set growing up in Alhambra, CA. Or maybe it was a favorite taunt of his naval drill instructor. But it had been largely lost to history until it rolled out of Ralph's brain that day.